The Goal

Don't get destroyed by the troll.

  Rules

You have to shoot at least 1 stone per turn if you have any left.

  Rule Evolution

The following points are still ideas in flux, waiting for some opinions (leave a comment on the draft submission page!)
  • is it even worth publishing? can the problem be totally solved?
  • More maps? (a map is a road length / initial stones pair)
  • leagues? I could conceive the referee being permissive (allow 0 stones thrown) in the first one, and then strict.
  • fog of war? (see only troll position, not enemy throw/stones left)
    variable for of war? (seeing enemy stones is a boolean decided randomly as part of the map?) (or seeing enemy stones only when troll is close to us?)
  • Praise for my artistic skillz
  • Other remarks?
Victory Condition
Your opponent loses.
Defeat Condition
  • The troll reaches your castle.
  • When no player has stones left, the troll is closer to your castle.

  I/O Protocol

Just read the sample code. You can figure this out.